Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 21, 2006

Michigan State University is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan. As the first agricultural college in the United States, it served as a model for future Land Grant colleges under the 1862 Morrill Act. Well known for its academic programs in education and agriculture, MSU pioneered the studies of packaging and music therapy. MSU has the premier hospitality school in the United States, and the study abroad program is the largest of any single-campus university in the nation, offering more than 200 programs in more than 60 countries on all continents including Antarctica. Following the introduction of the Morrill Act, the college became co-educational and expanded its curriculum beyond agriculture. After World War II, the number of students tripled as the institution became a major university. Today, MSU is the nation's sixth-largest university by enrollment. As a research university, MSU is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. MSU's Division I sports teams are nicknamed the Spartans. They compete in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except ice hockey, which is part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. (More...)